World War II Chronicles

As a follow-up to victory in North Africa, the Allies began an attack on Hitler's "Fortress Europe." On July 10, 1943 the landings at Sicily with more than 150,000 Allied troops met little opposition. On land, the operation progressed well as General Patton's 7th Army pushed towards Palermo, and General Montgomery's 8th Army battled up the island's east coast. The conquest of Sicily was accomplished in 38 days, paving the way for an invasion of the Italian mainland.

By the Spring of 1943, Hitler failed to comprehend Germany's inability to match the Soviets' in replacing men and materials. Instead, he planned an offensive to destroy a Soviet bulge within the German lines in the town of Kursk. The attack launched by the Germans on July 5, 1943 became the largest tank battle in history.

In late Spring 1943, General MacArthur and Admiral Halsey prepared to resume their counteroffensive in the Pacific, with a two pronged drive aimed at Rabaul -- codenamed Operation Cartwheel. On the night of June 29 6,000 Marines left Guadalcanal and landed on the beaches of Rendova and New Georgia islands. On August 5, 1943 the Japanese were driven from their last positions near airbases at Munda. Halsey was now positioned to attack the island of Bougainville.

During the summer of 1943, racial clashes broke out in several cities throughout the United States, including Beaumont, TX, Mobile, AL and Los Angeles. The worst of the wartime race riots occurred on June 20 in Detroit, MI. The nation's fourth largest city during the war, Detroit was overcrowded and tense, and the governor order martial law. So many race riots erupted during the war, that in October of 1943, the American Civil Liberties Union published a pamphlet detailing how to prevent race riots in your hometown.

Despite the bravery of black troops in the First World War, the U.S. Armed Forces were reluctant to admit African-Americans at the start of World War II. Under increasing public pressure, the Army Air Corps set up a training center for Black Americans in Tuskegee, Alabama. In April of 1943, the first class to graduate from the Tuskegee Institute were designated the 99th Pursuit Squadron in North Africa. Due to segregation within the Armed service, the squadron was all-black, but the bomber groups they escorted were not. The Tuskegee Airmen achieved distinction in the aerial assault of the Italian island at Pantelleria, and would live on as trailblazing legends in American history.

In the Mediterranean, Allied bombers were holding Italian islands and Italy itself under constant attack to ensure clear shipping lanes for the invasion of Sicily. Assaulting the island of Pantelleria was the first step. In the years prior to war, the Italians had labored to heavily fortify the island. On June 1, 1943, Allies began around the clock bombing of Pantelleria. The raid slowly intensified until June 11.

In addition to the 16 million Americans who left home for military service during World War II, another 15 million changed their residence. Most people moved for new jobs in war plants. As a result of the population movement, 'boomtowns' appeared throughout the nation, and with them came slums. In Washington, DC, the population grew from 900,000 in 1940 to almost 1.3 million by the summer of 1943.

During the Battle of Midway in June 1942, the Japanese had captured Attu and Kiska in the Alaskan Aleutian islands. Due to the terrible combat conditions in Alaksa, an American assault on the outposts could not be accomplished until May 1943. Until then, U.S. bombers shelled the islands in preparation for an invasion. On May 11, with overwhelming superiority in air, sea, and ground forces, American troops landed on Attu. For 18 days, U.S. forces faced some of the fiercest counterattacks of the war. Finally, on May 31 the island was secured.

In the Spring of 1943, the German U-boat service was coming close to winning the war on its own. The German submarine campaign proved a vital threat to the Allies. Suddenly, German submarine losses began to climb, and Allied shipping casualties dropped during the first weeks in May. With new tactics and technology, the Allies turned the tide in the Battle of the Atlantic.

On May 17, 1943, the crew of a B-17 named the "Memphis Belle" flew a mission over German-occupied Europe. With the raid on Wilhelmshaven, they become the first American crew to complete the required 25 missions with the crew intact. Their days in Britain became the focus of a 1944 documentary, with the raid on Wilhelmshaven as the featured event. After completing its tour of duty, the crew flew the plane back to the United States to participate in a morale building tour on behalf of the war bonds effort.